The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Part 7

Soup is eaten for breakfast, lunch, or supper and also represents a meal in itself, accompanied by bread. Vendors sell soups from great cauldrons in the street in the very early hours on winter mornings to catch those who want to fill themselves up before getting to work. Some play a part in the rituals of religious festivals, and are known as festive or wedding soups, and there are famous Ramadan specials prepared during the Muslim fasting month.

Chicken Stock Serves 6 1 chicken or 1 chicken carca.s.s or enough wings and giblets for a good stock 1 large onion, quartered 2 carrots, cut into pieces 2 stalks celery with leaves 2 bay leaves Bunch of parsley stalks 2 sprigs of thyme Salt and pepper Put all the ingredients for the stock in a large saucepan and cover with about 2 quarts (10 cups) water. Bring to the boil, remove any sc.u.m, then reduce the heat and simmer for I hours. Ladle off any fat from the surface and strain through a sieve, then return to the pan, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Meat Stock Instead of the chicken, have a knuckle of veal or lamb, or 1 or 2 marrow bones with 1 1 pound meat. Blanch the bones in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then throw the water out. Then cook as above, with the same other ingredients, for 2 hours. pound meat. Blanch the bones in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then throw the water out. Then cook as above, with the same other ingredients, for 2 hours.

Hamud Green Vegetable Soup with Garlic, Mint, and Lemon Serves 6-8 * This tangy, aromatic soup was a family favorite in Egypt. The strong taste of lemon is the main feature. It was usually served over rice. * This tangy, aromatic soup was a family favorite in Egypt. The strong taste of lemon is the main feature. It was usually served over rice.

2 quarts chicken stock (see page 143) (or you may use 1 or 2 bouillon cubes) 3 leeks, cut into -inch slices 1 head of celery with leaves, cut into -inch slices 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced Salt and white pepper 4 cloves garlic or more, chopped Juice of 1-3 lemons, to taste 1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste 4 zucchini, cut into -inch slices 2 tablespoons dried mint About - cup (uncooked measure) plain cooked rice to serve with (optional) (See page 338) Bring the stock to the boil in a pan. Put in the leeks, celery, and potatoes. Add salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, and sugar and simmer for about hour.

Add the zucchini and mint and cook 15 minutes more.

Serve, adding rice if you like, in the soup plates.

ou lik s...o...b..t Tamatem Tomato and Rice Soup with Mint and Cilantro Serves 4 * With this fresh-tasting and aromatic Egyptian soup, it is best to cook the rice separately and add it just before serving, as it gets bloated and soft if it stands in the soup. * With this fresh-tasting and aromatic Egyptian soup, it is best to cook the rice separately and add it just before serving, as it gets bloated and soft if it stands in the soup.

cup rice cup rice Salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon tomato paste 2 pounds tomatoes 1-2 teaspoons sugar 2 cups chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 1 or 2 bouillon cubes) 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro 1 sprig of mint, finely chopped Pour the rice into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 18 minutes, or until tender, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, and fry until soft. Add the garlic and stir until the aroma rises, then stir in the tomato paste and take off the heat.

Cut the tomatoes in quarters and, without peeling them, blend to a cream in the food processor. Pour them into the pan.

Add sugar and the stock and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Just before serving, add the cooked rice and the chopped cilantro and mint.

Soupa Avgolemono Egg and Lemon Soup Serves 6 * In Greece it is made whenever chickens are boiled. In Egypt we called it * In Greece it is made whenever chickens are boiled. In Egypt we called it beid ab lamouna beid ab lamouna and and s...o...b.. bel tarbeyah s...o...b.. bel tarbeyah. The stock can be prepared in advance, but the rest must be done at the last minute.

2 quarts good chicken stock (see page 143) cup long-grain rice Salt and white pepper 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 3 eggs Juice of 1 or 2 lemons Bring the stock to the boil, add the rice, and cook for about 18 minutes, until it is tender. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley.

When you are ready to serve, beat the eggs, add the lemon juice to them, and continue to beat until the mixture is pale and frothy. Add a ladle of hot stock and beat with a fork. Add a little more, then pour the mixture into the remaining broth, stirring vigorously. Heat through, stirring constantly, until it becomes very slightly creamy, but do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle (it must remain just below the boil). Remove the pan from the heat quickly. Taste, and add lemon and seasonings if necessary. The soup must be tart.

Serve immediately.

Variation You can add vermicelli, pastina (tiny pasta grains), or tapioca instead of rice.

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup Serves 6 * This delicate and beautiful soup is made with the large orange pumpkins that are sold cut up in large slices. Ask to taste a bit from an open one, as the taste varies. You will know if it is not very good. * This delicate and beautiful soup is made with the large orange pumpkins that are sold cut up in large slices. Ask to taste a bit from an open one, as the taste varies. You will know if it is not very good.

2 pounds orange pumpkin 3 cups chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 bouillon cubes) 3 cups milk Salt and white pepper 2-3 teaspoons sugar, or to taste Cooked rice, cup uncooked measure (optional) 1 teaspoon cinnamon to garnish (optional) Remove the peel, seeds, and fiber from the pumpkin and cut it into pieces. Put it in a large pan with the stock and the milk, season with salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it is tender. Lift the pumpkin out, puree in a food processor, and return to the pan. Or mash the pumpkin in the pan with a potato masher.

Bring to the boil again, throw in the cooked rice, and simmer a minute more before serving. Add a little water if necessary to have a light creamy consistency.

Serve, if you like, with a dusting of cinnamon on each serving.

Melokheya Serves 6-8 * * Melokheya Melokheya is Egypt's most popular national dish. It is an ancient peasant soup which is believed to be portrayed in pharaonic tomb paintings. It seemed to us as children that the fellahin (peasants) wore the same clothes, used the same tools, and repeated the same movements as did the figures working the land in pharaonic tomb paintings. Every peasant, however poor, had a little patch of ground for his own use, and in summer this was reserved exclusively for the cultivation of the deep-green is Egypt's most popular national dish. It is an ancient peasant soup which is believed to be portrayed in pharaonic tomb paintings. It seemed to us as children that the fellahin (peasants) wore the same clothes, used the same tools, and repeated the same movements as did the figures working the land in pharaonic tomb paintings. Every peasant, however poor, had a little patch of ground for his own use, and in summer this was reserved exclusively for the cultivation of the deep-green melokheya melokheya leaf leaf (Corchorus olitorius (Corchorus olitorius-in English, Jew's mallow). The women prepared the soup daily in large pots which they carried to the fields on their heads for the men to eat at midday. When the work was done and the men came home, they ate it again at dusk.

For many years, when we were relatively new in England, the leaves were very hard to find, and we hankered desperately for the soup. Some relatives of mine in Milan tried to grow the plant (it looks a bit like spinach) in the garden of their apartment building. After weeks of effort-getting the seeds (the same seeds were found in pharaonic tombs), planting them, watering, nurturing, harvesting-they invited a group of compatriots to eat the soup. The triumphant cook was horrified to find that the leaves she thought she had so lovingly raised were only local weeds. The melokheya melokheya had failed to grow. had failed to grow.

Everybody from Egypt adores melokheya melokheya, which has a mucilaginous, glutinous quality imparted by the leaves. But be warned: it is an acquired taste. There are various ways of eating it in several stages, and each is something of a ritual. The soup may be eaten first with plain rice (that is how I like it-pure and simple), or with fried or toasted Arab bread; then with portions of the chicken or meat which was used for making the stock. Or you can serve it all together in many layers on the plate. In either case, it represents an entire meal. The layers may start with pieces of toasted bread at the bottom of the plate, but usually begin with rice, topped with a piece of chicken or meat, over which the soup is poured. Recently the Lebanese custom of sprinkling chopped onion steeped in vinegar on top has been adopted by some Egyptians.

In Egypt they use chicken, rabbit, goose, duck, or meat stock to make the soup. Many years ago I was employed in England to make the soup using a famous brand of bouillon cube for a television advertis.e.m.e.nt. Years later, when I went back to Cairo for the first time, I spied it being shown on television in a crowded cafe between episodes of "Dallas."

You are not likely to find fresh melokheya melokheya, but dried and frozen varieties are available from Middle Eastern stores. The frozen one is best. A lot of garlic is used in a sauce called takleya takleya which goes in at the end, but it does not seem like too much when you eat. which goes in at the end, but it does not seem like too much when you eat.

A 3-pound chicken 1 onion, peeled 6 cardamom pods (optional) Salt and pepper 3 14-ounce packages frozen chopped melokheya leaves leaves FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE (TAKLEYA).

15-20 cloves garlic, or to taste, crushed 2-3 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar, or ground coriander teaspoon ground chili pepper, or more (optional) 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Plain rice to serve with (page 338) (page 338) Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the onion and cardamom pods. Cover with water (about 3 quarts) and bring to the boil. Remove any sc.u.m, season with salt and pepper, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until the meat is very tender. Lift out the chicken, cut it into portions, and keep them warm, covered with a little stock. Discard the onion.

You should be left with about 3 quarts stock. Reduce it if necessary by boiling, or add more water. Put the melokheya melokheya, still frozen, into the simmering stock (this is according to the packet instructions). Let the ice melt entirely and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir gently and take off the heat. Do not overcook, as the melokheya melokheya leaves could fall to the bottom, and they should stay suspended. leaves could fall to the bottom, and they should stay suspended.

Prepare the takleya takleya (the garlic sauce). Fry the garlic with the coriander and ground chili pepper in the oil (in Egypt (the garlic sauce). Fry the garlic with the coriander and ground chili pepper in the oil (in Egypt samna samna, a clarified b.u.t.ter, is used), stirring well. When the sizzling garlic begins to color, pour it into the simmering soup, stir, and cook a further 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve very hot with the rice and the chicken, heated through.

Garnishes and Variations Serve with 2 finely chopped mild red or white onions soaked in wine vinegar for 1 hour.

For a "royal" melokheya melokheya, put a thin layer of Arab bread, lightly toasted and broken into pieces, at the bottom of the soup plates. Cover with a layer of rice, put a piece of chicken on top, pour melokheya melokheya over it all, and sprinkle with chopped onion soaked in vinegar (see preceding variation). over it all, and sprinkle with chopped onion soaked in vinegar (see preceding variation).

You can add 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped.

For the stock, instead of chicken, use 1 1 1 pounds lamb, beef, or veal, preferably with 1 or 2 marrow bones. pounds lamb, beef, or veal, preferably with 1 or 2 marrow bones.

If you are using fresh melokheya melokheya, strip the leaves from the stalks, wash and drain them. Then chop by hand or in a food processor, add to the stock, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

If you are using dried melokheya melokheya, pulverize in the food processor. Throw a little hot water over the leaves. Let them swell until doubled in bulk, sprinkling with a little more water if necessary. Add to the stock and cook 15-20 minutes.

Ispanak corbasi Spinach Soup Serves 6-8 * The b.u.t.ter-and-flour thickening gives this Turkish soup a creamy texture, and the traditional egg-and-lemon finish gives a delicate tartness. * The b.u.t.ter-and-flour thickening gives this Turkish soup a creamy texture, and the traditional egg-and-lemon finish gives a delicate tartness.

2 pounds fresh spinach or frozen chopped spinach, defrosted 2 quarts meat or chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes) 1 large carrot, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped A few celery leaves, chopped Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons flour 3 egg yolks Juice of 1 lemon If using fresh spinach, wash the leaves and put them in a pan over low heat, with the lid on. When they collapse into a soft ma.s.s, in 1-2 minutes, chop them in the food processor. If using frozen spinach, simply defrost.

Put the stock in the pan with the carrot and celery. Bring to the boil, add salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a small pan. Add the flour, and stir vigorously over low heat for a few minutes. Beat in a ladle of the soup, then pour this back into the soup gradually, stirring constantly, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook about 7 minutes more. Just before serving, beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice in a bowl, then beat in a ladle of the soup. Pour this back into the soup gradually, stirring constantly. Bring the soup to just below boiling point and serve.

Havuc corbasi Turkish Carrot Soup Serves 6 1 pounds carrots 2 quarts chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes) Salt and pepper 1-2 teaspoons sugar 1-1 teaspoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons flour cup hot milk 3 egg yolks Sc.r.a.pe, wash, and cut the carrots into medium pieces. Put them in a pan with the stock. Bring to the boil, add salt, pepper, sugar, and cinnamon, and simmer, covered, until the carrots are very soft. Blend to a cream in a food processor or blender.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a separate pan. Add the flour, and stir for a few minutes over low heat. Add the milk, stirring vigorously, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat.

Just before serving, add the egg yolks one by one to the b.u.t.ter, flour, and milk mixture, beating vigorously. Then add this to the soup, mixing vigorously. Heat through, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens, but do not let it boil.

Remove from the heat at once, so that the yolks do not curdle, and serve immediately.

s...o...b..t Adds Spiced Creamy Lentil Soup Serves 6-8 * Lentil soup is an Egyptian favorite. You can buy it in the street from vendors. When I went back once during the fasting month of Ramadan, I was wandering through a long market street and stopped in a tiny cafe. There was only one table and I was the only customer, and all they had to offer was lentil soup. They must have been Copts. They served me in great style, offering me all kinds of extra garnishes-scallions, lemons, toasted pita croutons-rushing out to buy each one, after each new demand, from the stalls outside, then preparing them in front of me at the table. * Lentil soup is an Egyptian favorite. You can buy it in the street from vendors. When I went back once during the fasting month of Ramadan, I was wandering through a long market street and stopped in a tiny cafe. There was only one table and I was the only customer, and all they had to offer was lentil soup. They must have been Copts. They served me in great style, offering me all kinds of extra garnishes-scallions, lemons, toasted pita croutons-rushing out to buy each one, after each new demand, from the stalls outside, then preparing them in front of me at the table.

There is no harm in making the soup in advance-even a day before.

1 large onion, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1-1 teaspoons c.u.min 1-1 teaspoons ground coriander Pinch of ground chili pepper 1 cups split red lentils Bunch of celery leaves, chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 quarts chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes) Salt and pepper Juice of -1 lemon TO GARNISH.

1-2 large onions, sliced 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1-1 pita breads to make croutons (optional) 3 lemons, quartered, to serve with Soften the onion in the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, c.u.min, coriander, and chili pepper and stir.

Add the lentils, celery leaves, and carrot, cover with stock, and simmer 30-45 minutes, until the lentils have disintegrated. Add salt and pepper, and water if the soup needs thinning. It should be quite thin, like a light cream. Stir in the lemon juice.

For the garnish, fry the onions in the oil, first covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, then uncovered, over medium and high heat, stirring often, until crisp and very brown-almost caramelized.

Split and open out the pita breads and toast them in the oven or under the broiler, turning them over once, until they are crisp and lightly browned. Then break them into small pieces with your hands to make croutons.

Serve the soup very hot. Garnish each serving with a tablespoon of fried onions and pa.s.s the lemon wedges and croutons, if you like, for people to help themselves.

s...o...b..t Adds bil Hamud Lemony Spinach and Brown Lentil Soup Serves 6 * This is a very famous and very tasty Lebanese soup made with large brown lentils. * This is a very famous and very tasty Lebanese soup made with large brown lentils.

1 large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup large brown or green lentils (washed) 2 medium potatoes, diced 2 quarts water or chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes) 1 pound fresh spinach or frozen leaf spinach (defrosted) cup chopped cilantro Salt and pepper Juice of 1 lemons, or more In a large pan, fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to color. Add the lentils and potatoes, and the water or stock, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. a large pan, fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to color. Add the lentils and potatoes, and the water or stock, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

If using fresh spinach, wash the leaves and put them in a pan with the lid on-and only the water that clings to them-over low heat, until the leaves collapse into a soft ma.s.s. Cut the cooked fresh or defrosted frozen spinach into thin ribbons with a knife.

Add the spinach and cilantro to the soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and add water, if necessary, to have a lighter consistency.

Cook a few minutes more and add lemon to taste (it should be tangy) before serving.

Variations For adds bel s.h.a.ghria adds bel s.h.a.ghria, add a handful of vermicelli, broken into small pieces in your hand, a few minutes before the end. * For an alternative flavoring, fry 4 or 5 crushed garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil with 2 teaspoons ground coriander until the aroma rises. Stir this sauce, called takleya takleya, into the soup just before serving.

Lablabi Chickpea Soup Serves 6-8 * This very popular Tunisian soup is eaten for breakfast. In poor families it serves as a meal during the day. Little cafes in popular areas serve it in the morning to people going off to work. * This very popular Tunisian soup is eaten for breakfast. In poor families it serves as a meal during the day. Little cafes in popular areas serve it in the morning to people going off to work.

2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight 2 quarts water Salt 4 or 5 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon harissa (see page 464), or to taste (optional) 1-2 teaspoons ground c.u.min 6 slices day-old or very lightly toasted country bread 3-4 lemons cut in wedges cup extra-virgin olive oil, or a bottle to pa.s.s around Put the drained chickpeas in a pan with the water and simmer, covered, for 1 h h hours, until the chickpeas are very soft, adding water to keep the chickpeas covered. Add salt, garlic, harissa, and c.u.min, and cook 20 minutes more. Serve in individual soup bowls. Put a slice of toasted bread in each bowl and ladle the soup on top. Give people lemon wedges to squeeze over their bowls and pa.s.s round the bottle of olive oil for them to sprinkle on. hours, until the chickpeas are very soft, adding water to keep the chickpeas covered. Add salt, garlic, harissa, and c.u.min, and cook 20 minutes more. Serve in individual soup bowls. Put a slice of toasted bread in each bowl and ladle the soup on top. Give people lemon wedges to squeeze over their bowls and pa.s.s round the bottle of olive oil for them to sprinkle on.

s...o...b..t Ful Nabed Dried Fava Bean Soup Serves 6-8 * This soup is popular in Egypt, where sick and convalescing people are encouraged to eat it to regain their health. It is plain but delicate in flavor, and highly nutritious, made with the same large fava beans as * This soup is popular in Egypt, where sick and convalescing people are encouraged to eat it to regain their health. It is plain but delicate in flavor, and highly nutritious, made with the same large fava beans as ta'amia ta'amia (page 61), sold without their skins (they are a pale cream without their brown skins). (page 61), sold without their skins (they are a pale cream without their brown skins).

1 cups dried skinless split broad beans, soaked overnight 2 quarts chicken or meat stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes), or water 4 or 5 cloves garlic, chopped Salt and white pepper 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more to serve with cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2-4 lemons, quartered Drain the beans and put them in a large saucepan with the stock or water. Add garlic and bring to the boil. Remove any sc.u.m and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, adding water if necessary, until the beans are so soft they fall apart. Then mash with a potato masher.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the oil. Bring to the boil again and add more water if necessary to thin the soup.

Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled over each individual bowl, and accompany with lemon quarters. Pa.s.s the olive oil around for people to dribble a little over their soup if they wish.

In Egypt, the soup is served with Arab bread to dip in it.

Cream of White Bean Soup Serves 6-8 * Use dry white navy or haricot beans. * Use dry white navy or haricot beans.

2 leeks 2 tablespoons vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil l cups white navy or haricot beans, soaked overnight 2 quarts meat or chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 3 bouillon cubes) Salt and pepper Cut off and discard the green parts of the leeks and wash the rest well, particularly in between the leaves. Cut into thin slices and saute in oil in a large saucepan until soft.

Add the drained beans and the stock. Bring to the boil, remove the sc.u.m, cover, and simmer gently over low heat until the beans are very soft and almost falling apart, adding water if necessary. This may take 1-2 hours.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer for a few minutes longer. Then blend to a puree in a food processor, return to the pan, add enough water if necessary to have a light, creamy texture, and bring to the boil again.

Serve hot.

Variations Add 2 skinned and chopped tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste at the start of the cooking. This gives the soup a soft-pink color.

Add the juice of 1-2 lemons, and sprinkle chopped parsley and a little extra-virgin olive oil over each serving.

s...o...b..t Becellah Yellow Split Pea Soup Serves 6 1 cups yellow split peas (washed) 1 onion, chopped 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped 2 quarts chicken or meat stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 or 3 bouillon cubes) or water Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons ground cardamom Juice of -1 lemon 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 pita bread to make toasted croutons (optional) Put the split peas in a pan with the onion and celery and cover with stock or water. Bring to the boil, remove the sc.u.m, and simmer gently, covered, until the peas are nearly disintegrating-from 1 to I/2 hours (after 25 minutes they are soft but still firm), adding water so as to have a light, creamy soup. Add salt, pepper, cardamom, and the lemon juice towards the end.

Serve hot. Garnish each serving with parsley and, if you like, with croutons.

For the croutons, split the pita bread and open it out. Toast it under the broiler, turning the pieces over once, until crisp and lightly browned. Then break them into little pieces with your hands.

Ashe Mast va Khiar Cold Yogurt and Cuc.u.mber Soup Serves 6 * A refreshing summer soup from Iran. * A refreshing summer soup from Iran.

1 quart plain whole-milk yogurt cup sour cream cup water Salt and pepper 1 large cuc.u.mber, coa.r.s.ely grated 4 or 5 scallions, finely chopped 6 ice cubes A few sprigs of fresh mint, chopped 4 tablespoons black or golden raisins Beat the yogurt and sour cream with the water. Add salt and pepper, cuc.u.mber, and scallions and stir well. Just before serving, put in the ice cubes and sprinkle with mint and raisins.

Yayla corbasi Yogurt Soup with Rice and Chickpeas Serves 6 * In this lovely Turkish soup, the egg yolk and the flour prevent the yogurt from curdling. The rice is best cooked separately and added in before serving, as it gets bloated and mushy if left in the soup too long. * In this lovely Turkish soup, the egg yolk and the flour prevent the yogurt from curdling. The rice is best cooked separately and added in before serving, as it gets bloated and mushy if left in the soup too long.

cup rice Salt 5 cups chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 2 bouillon cubes) 2 cups plain whole-milk or thick strained Greek-style yogurt 2 tablespoons flour 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoons dried mint Pepper A 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained (optional) Cook the rice in boiling salted water until tender, and drain.

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large pan.

In a bowl, beat the yogurt with the flour and egg yolks until well blended and add the mint, salt, and pepper. Pour this into the stock, beating vigorously, and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Simmer over very low heat, until the soup thickens slightly.

Before serving, add the rice-and chickpeas, if you like-and heat through.

Variations Add a pinch of saffron pistils steeped in 2 tablespoons of hot water.

An Iranian version adds teaspoon turmeric and a variety of chopped herbs, including parsley, tarragon, and chives, as well as shredded spinach.

For a traditional optional garnish, heat 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or olive oil with 2 tablespoons dried crushed mint, and dribble a little of this over each serving. For another, heat the b.u.t.ter or oil with 2 teaspoons paprika.

Labaneya Spinach Soup with Yogurt Serves 6 * This is one of my favorite soups from Egypt. * This is one of my favorite soups from Egypt.

1 pound fresh spinach or frozen leaf spinach, defrosted 1 onion, chopped About 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 3 or 4 scallions, finely chopped cup rice V4 teaspoon turmeric (optional) Salt and pepper 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt 1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed Wash and drain the fresh spinach.

Saute the onion in the oil in a large saucepan until soft and lightly colored. Add the spinach and put the lid on. Fresh spinach will crumple into a soft ma.s.s in a few moments. Cut the cooked fresh or defrosted frozen spinach up coa.r.s.ely in the pan with a pointed knife.